Three high court judges, including the former chief justices of Sindh and Lahore high courts, on Tuesday took oath as judges of the Supreme Court following notification of their elevation by the Ministry of Law and Justice a day earlier.
In a ceremony at the apex court, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa administered oath to Justices Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan of the LHC; Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi of the SHC; and Shahid Bilal Hassan, also of the LHC.
A day earlier, the Law and Justice Ministry had notified the appointments of all three judges to the Supreme Court following the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 177.
Also on Tuesday, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan took oath as acting chief justice of the LHC, replacing Justice Shahzad upon his elevation. Justice Khan was appointed the acting LHC CJ by President Zardari under Article 196, according to a notification issued by the law ministry, and would perform his duties until a permanent appointment to the top post.
The law ministry notification also appointed Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, senior puisne judge of SHC, as acting chief justices of the SHC.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) recommended the elevation of all three justices earlier this month, thereby completing the constitutional strength of 17 judges for the Supreme Court. The three posts fell vacant after the retirement of former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial and resignations of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.